TANK TALK

Collected comments from the general public and our friends in the art world:

DAY ONE

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?

WHY HAVE YOU PAINTED THE TANK PINK?

Why?

Why have you painted the tank?

Why did you choose this color?

IS THAT YOUR TANK?

Who does the tank belong to?

Why is the tank here?

DOES IT WORK?

ARE YOU GOING TO DRIVE IT?

Did you get permission to paint the tank?

Does the owner know you are painting the tank?

Is there an owner of the tank?

How long has the tank been here?

How long did it take you to do this?

WHO’S PAYING FOR IT?

IS THAT PAINT EXPENSIVE?

Are you done now?

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE DONE?

You think this is going to stop kids from more graffiti?

You’ve covered my tag!

It’s a Russian tank!

Is it a Russian tank?

What have you done to this old vehicle?

THAT’S A TR47!

THAT’S A TR87!

Why?

OK, why did you paint the tank?

Why did you leave the rust here?

Are you authorized to do this?

Be careful, there are lots of needles around.

Pink, as far as I am concerned, represents gay pride.

PINK? MUST BE SOME PEACE OR GAY THING.

SOME FEMINIST ART WORK.

ARE YOU ART STUDENTS?

ARE YOU ORGANIZED?

Where are you from?

Can I have your number?

Where do you go if you need to go to the bathroom?

Come over if you need anything.

I thought I’d make you some coffee, but THEN I SAW THERE WERE FIVE OF YOU.

You’ve made it so pretty!!

Much better!

Thumbs up!

Good work!

PINK! YOU’VE GONE AND PAINTED IT PINK!

A splash of color for the neighborhood.

GO ON GIRLS!

Just don’t start it please.

I could never imagine this would happen to it.

I WANT TO PUT MY BABY GIRL ON A SHEEPSKIN AND TAKE A PICTURE OF HER ON IT.

It’s Crap! Crap! Crap!

THAT’S A SHIT COLOUR.

MY BEDROOM’S THAT COLOUR.

FAKE ARMY!!!

THAT’S FANTASTIC! REALLY FANTASTIC!

Is it for a photo?

Is it for a movie?

IS JULIA ROBERTS GOING TO BE IN IT?

I TELL YOU WHAT, I’LL PUT ON A PINK G-STRING AND COME AND DANCE ALL OVER IT—IF YOU NEED ME I’M PUTTING UP SCAFFOLDING JUST OVER THERE.

I wanted to steal it and send it to Palestine!

I’ve never NOTICED this tank before.

I’VE PASSED THIS TANK A MILLION TIMES, IT ALWAYS LOOKED SHIT TO ME.

Can I come back with some friends who make T-shirts and take a picture of it?

Can I take a picture of you?

Can I take a picture of you from my window?

Can I take a picture for you with your camera?

There’s pink paint on your camera.

I’ve cleaned the paint off your camera.

SMILE PLEASE.

Someone’s already taken a picture of this tank—it’s in ID. I can show you.

Are you paid to do this?

ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A PARTY?

You’ve got a funny suntan.

Is it dry yet?

Can I help you?

Can I climb on it?

CAN I SHOW IT TO MY BROTHER?

Good job!

Is it your tank?

Why is it pink?

HONK, HONK!!

DAY THREE

You are good painters and I particularly like the nozzle.

Wow, pink camo.

Do you know Lily Van der Stokker’s pink building in Germany? I think it’s in Hanover.

Do you know that Lipstick Tank made by Claes Oldenburg? Tank body with huge lipstick extension atop? He showed it at Yale, I think, during the Vietnam War era. Big controversy or something.

DAY FIVE

How about a ‘think tank’? Fleshy-gray colored with squiggly lines? What the hell’s that mean, though?

Is your tank a peace gesture?

Where are the menfolk in those photos, huh?

DAY SIX

Can you describe the idea behind the pink tank?

The pink tank is an outdoors summer art project. Five girls are painting a derelict and long-parked tank in the city—pink. We met the owner who gave us permission and gave us pink War Paint to do it and we did it over one weekend. We had fun doing it in the sun. It is a public artwork: as such it is an artwork about the public. Many people came up to speak to us about it. Everyone has a different idea what it is about. It can be anything you want.

Could you also let me know the full address of the location of the tank and dates and times when the public can see it?

Cubitt is launching the tank: 4–7pm, August 24th 2002. It is parked at the corner of Pages Walk & Mandela Way, 5 minutes south of Tower Bridge. We’ll meet at the Victoria Pub on the corner. The tank will probably stay there forever, or until further notice.

If you could reply asap I’d be grateful. Many thanks.

I hope this helps. Thank you for the interest.

DAY SEVEN

Do you know there is a pink tank in Tjeckoslovakia? Symbol of the Velvet Revolution.

But that one is not painted in camo is it? Big difference.

Oh, is this one camo?

DAY FOURTEEN

The tank is looking pretty!

PINK IS POLITICAL!!!!!!! I love it lady!!

It looks like a Bangles video.

Dale Chihuly had a pink truck and a green camouflage Mercedes coup—a long time ago at least.

BTW nice tank.

Coincidentally the front cover of Spectator is a tank this week—with Robin Cook in a pink vest. Not saying it’s like yours but thought worth mentioning.

DAY TWENTY-ONE

I hope the unveiling of the big pink tank goes well tomorrow. It looks hot! I myself am feeling rather like a big pink tank these days as I’m expanding to unbelievable proportions and feeling rather unmobile. Only one month left to go though, thank god!

DAY TWENTY-TWO

YOU ARE BACK!! I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO COME BACK. I TOOK SOME PICTURES OF THE TANK FOR YOU, CAN I SHOW THEM TO YOU.

SOMEONE HAS ALREADY COVERED YOUR TANK IN GRAFFITI, THOSE BASTARDS—BUT I SUPPOSE THAT IS ART TOO.

Wow!! Loved the PINK TANK. Perfect for these days. Our president was in my town last night... I sure hope Euro TV-CNN also showed all the anti-war protesters... in general the average American does not want to go to war. Although, the press sure makes it look like we do...

DAY TWENTYFIVE

Nice pink tank. I am from out of town. Wellington, New Zealand, to be exact and we—my partner Rachel and I—called your gallery on Sunday to see if you were open and heard your message about the ‘tink tank’ (sic) having arrived at 5pm to see a pink tank we sort of figured it out and began asking locals about it. It is very nice. That there was a tank in camouflage in London is also kind of cool but much better in pink. Anyway, I really liked it and am keen to see and hear about more.

I kinda liked the pink tank the other day but I suppose my background of public art makes me see it through that veil which means my critical eye is fucked on this one. Maybe that’s GOOD.

DAY THIRTY

PSYCHEDELIC!!

Funky colours, I like it.

It’s like when they tried to raze the White House, all those artists in the sixties, is it an anti-war statement?

PINK LSD.

I SAW IT WAS PINK BEFORE I KNEW IT WAS ART, MAKES IT SO MUCH BETTER.

So much more fulfilling.

Feminist militant statement??

Phallic maybe?

Feminist milkfloat?

Very pretty indeed.

I was never really into tank girl, but I like this!

WHAT’S INSIDE, CAN I GET IN?

Pale pink is so last season, think it should be neon pink instead.

HAS SOMEONE HAD A PARTY HERE?

IT MATCHES WITH MY PINK SHOES!

IT’S FANTASTIC, VERY SWEET.

Yeah, nice, what does the council think?

I think you should cut some of these nettles.

I’M NOT FIT ENOUGH TO GET ON THE END OF THE NOZZLE!

Did somebody draw cue lines for you to colour in?

Did you do the graffiti?

WHY IS IT POINTING TOWARDS THOSE HOUSES?

There should be a rail or some buffer cushions around it.

FLASHING LIGHTS AND SOUNDS EFFECTS FOR THE KIDS.

IS THE PINKNESS OF IT TO TAKE THE PISS OUT OF MILITARISATION?

IS IT TO BARBIFY IT?

DO THE LOCAL KIDS FEEL THEY CAN COME TO THE TANK?

There should be a placard outside the tank.

HEY GET OFF OUR TANK!

Interesting......

Good thing about it, is that it was here before, it makes people think.

We don’t like the graffiti.

A wonderful edition to the public art of Southeast London.

Very abusive.

Not very lucid.

So are the Bangles are cashing in on all this ’80s revival too?

MAKE IT MORE SAFE FOR KIDS.

I’ve got a pair of pants in that design.

Can I borrow it for the love parade?

I don’t get it, why is it pink?